This invention relates generally to mini-spring sockets of the type ordinarily employed in apertures in printed circuit boards and more particularly to an improved mini-spring socket having a plastic housing which provides advantages not obtainable with prior mini-spring sockets employing metal housings.
There are available in the art many different types of mini-spring sockets which employ metal sockets with spring-like contacts contained therein. Such mini-spring sockets are ordinarily used in printed circuit boards and often form the receptacles for the terminals of dual-in-line packages (DIP) and other circuit components which are mounted upon the circuit board.
Mini-spring sockets employing metal housings are in quite common use today. They generally fall into two catagories; one being the stamped mini-spring socket and the other a machined mini-spring socket. In the case of the stamped mini-spring socket there are inherent problems of solder wicking and a possibility of short circuiting with the circuit paths on the surface of the printed circuit board in which the sockets are installed. Such short circuiting will often occur during solder reflow of the mini-spring sockets as a result of solder wicking. A further problem is the construction of a knockout bottom in the socket to enable the insertion of a terminal post completely through the socket and extending down below the surface of the printed circuit board for various purposes such as solder reflow. Efforts have been made to provide a plastic bottom in mini-spring sockets with metal housings which can be knocked out with relative ease by inserting a terminal post into and through the mini-spring socket. However such structures are fairly expensive in that they do require two materials, metal and plastic, and the piercing together of such two materials.
The mini-spring sockets employing machined housings are more efficient than stamped sockets but are relatively expensive but do not eliminate the possibility of short circuiting or solder wicking possibilities.